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Karigan adjusted her grip on the bonewood, and the professor pulled back a azed at the gun, her eyes blurred She looked away, blinking rapidly, and everything fell back into focus, but when she looked directly at the gun, it blurred again She found she could look at it in general, or see it on the periphery of her vision, but she could not see it clearly when she looked directly at it

She let the oddness pass as the footsteps grew nearer, louder, then paused

"Professor?" a voice called

"It is Cade," the professor said in obvious relief, his hand that held the gun falling to his side Karigan relaxed, but kept the bonewood at full length "Coht as he joined them He set aside his taper and raised an eyebrohen he noted their weapons

"I wasn’t expecting anyone to be here," Cade said "I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d co"

The professor chuckled "We were not, as you can see, expecting you either I would not have cos explained to her, and I in turn have discovered so information frolanced at Karigan in surprise, and the professor explained as the three of the area When they reached the big desk, Cade said, "It is difficult to envision the emperor as an ordinary, mortal man"

"Clearly not ordinary if he became our emperor," the professor said

Karigan silently agreed She’d known the swaggering nobleman, but there had to have been more to him that she hadn’t been able to see

"I was just about to tell our Miss Goodgrave about what Silk is after"

"I will make some tea" Cade moved off to the kitchen area in the opposite corner, and Karigan resu as Cade lit the tiny stove and placed a kettle of water on it, his movements calm, unhurried

The professor did not wait for tea, and after returning his gun to its drawer, he began to explain

ANSCHILDE’S HEIRLOOM